Swimming suit



July 12, 1932. R, DlLLs 1,867,445

SWIMMING SUIT Filed March 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iain Giana: V v k L H I gwwntoc Reuben HD1725 y 1932- R. H. DILLS L867,

SWIMMING SUIT Filed March 6, 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 2 gwvmtoz Reuben/1011i;

Patented July 12,

ireo srA'ras Tar aannmr 1:. pure, or SEATTLE, weron a son Application filed Batch 8, 1829., Serial No. 344,857.

dom of play or the back and-shoulder c muscles, which, with the leg muscles, are chiefly used in swimming, and to permit exposure of the body, as much as possible, to the beneficial rays of the sun.

A further object is the provision in a suit, wherein the back is uncovered, of means insuring that the upper portion of the suit slall cling closely to the wearer about its e ges.

A further object is the provision of a design of swimming suit which need be made up in only a few sizes, and which is adaptable to fit persons (if considerably different build without change or alteration, and

without discomfortto the wearer, thus elim- 2 inating the necessity of the shopkeeper carrying a large assortment of sizes in stock.

it is a further object to devisesuch a suit wherein the edges of the upper portion of the garment may be made to cling tightly to the wearer without discomfort or cramping, to eliminate catching and dragging water while sing, and in such a way that the suit will still fit persons of difi'ering build, and size without alteration.

Qther objects may be ascertained by a study of the drawings, specification, and claims comprising this application.

My invention comprises the novel swimming suit and the novel construction and arrangement of the several parts thereof, as

shown in the accompanying drawings, de-

scribed in the ecification, and as will be particularly de ed by the claims which terminate the same. 40 in the accompanyin drawings ,1 have shown my invention em odied in a style of suit which is now preferred by me, but it will be borne in mind that the principles of my invention are adaptable to a consider,

able variety of styles and forms, and consequently I do not desire to limit myself to this particular style or arrangement, or other than as will be made clear from a study of this ecification and the claims which terminate a same, r 1

Figure 1 is a front elevationof such a suit, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a transverse section thereof on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the suit, seen from, the side, as it wouldappear upon a wearer. i l

The arrangement of the lower portion of the suit is of little importance, so far as my invention is concerned, and consequently the suit may be formed with trunks only, omit-' ting the conventional skirt, or it may have such a skirt. It may be adapted to the two piece idea, the trunks being formed separate, and the upper portion having depending therefrom a crutch portion. lhese I consider variationsdf style, and my invention is adaptable toall such, though preferably the suit should include a crotch, portion, by means of which the lower art of the upper portion is held down. coordingly, in this specification, the designation trunks is to be understood as meaning any of this arrangements indicated in this para- P In swimming, and especially in speed swimming, the muscles chiefly used for propulsion are the back, arm, and shoulder muscles, lhe ordinary suit having arm loops, places all of the drag of the suit and it'll its resistance to longitudinal stretching, upon the shoulders, and to this extent cramps the swimmer, and impedes the freedom of muscle play which is desirable. My suit is so dcsigned that the support of the upper portion of the suit may be wholly over the neck, the muscles of which are not brought into use, and all of the shoulder and back muscles are left free and uncovered, so that they may have the freest play possible. At the same time,

' for the sake of modesty, the suit should cling closely to the wearer in front, and it is de-' signed thus to accomplish these two objects,

that is, to leave the important muscles free,

and to suficiently cover the front of the wearer in all positions. Further thelines of the suit are so designed that 1t 1s held closely to the wearer in the rear, so that no water can enter to drag and hold back the swimmer.

The trunks, then, or more correctly speaking, the lower portion of the garment, is indicated at 1 and 2 respectively, the numeral 1 indicating trunks and the numeral'2 the conventional skirt portion. The upper portion,

generally designated by the numeral 3, may bemade continuous with either the skirt or the trunks, or is in some manner joined to one or the other so as to form an upward continuation thereof. From the front the suit may appear as the ordinary suit, including straps 4, which extend over the shoulders of the ,wearer. These straps, however, preferably do not extend again down the back, but are united, either permanently or by some fastening means, behind the neck of the wearer, so as to form a band which encircles the neck, the neck being slipped through the loop or opening 5 defined by this band andthe edge of the upper portion The lower portion, 2 or 1, extends upward generally to the waist of the wearer. It ma be considered to terminate at about the dot and dash line A of Figure 4, which corresponds approximately to the waistlineof the wearer. However, it is immaterial that the lower portion may stop little short of this line or extend a little thereabove, andthe line is v shown chiefly as a line of reference to dis-- tinguish the lower portion fromv the upper portion of the garment. Thus, in the back the upper edge of the lower portion may form the upper edge of the garment, and coincides approximately with the location of the line This edge 6 defines the uppermosted e of the garment in the. back, except for t e band 4 which extends around the neck of the wearer. The line 6 continues for a greater or lesser distance across the back at the waist, and is then joined with the side edges 7 of the upper portion 3 of the garment. These side edges 7 form a continuation of the bands 4, and extend generally downward at the sides of the wearer,under the arm pits, to a junction-'with'the edge 6 of the lower portion. Generally, the edge 7 swings somewhat rearwardly after passing in front of the arms and under the arm pits, and joins the edge 6 somewhat to the rear of the wearer, more or less close to the middleof the back. This rearward swing is indicated at 8.

It will now be evident that the front of the suit is like an ordinary suit in appearance, but that its side edge continues down from the neck encircling band 4, over the shoulders, in front of the arms, and thence downwardunder the arm pits, swinging rearwardly to form a continuous edge including the waist portion of, the lower part of the garment, somewhere adjacent the middle of the back. Such suits are generally made of t material, which is more or less elastic and which would be inclined to sag, but with back the construction. shown I have found that to extend, and consequently there is a stretching action from the neck to the middle of the back, which causes this edge to cling more tightly to the wearer, and consequently to prevent the suit from falling away from the front of the wearer. It will naturally assume such a position when the wearer is in upright position. I

However, to make the suit conform more readily to persons. of different build without change of size or adjustment, it may be desirable to provide some tensioning means in the edge which defines the back opening. This may take a variety of forms. The marginal seam may be sufiicient in'itself. It may be formed by including a piece of non-elastic webbing, as indicated at 9 in Figure 1, this 1y.- ing in the edge and usually included in the ported, or a piece of elastic webbing behind the neck, or a draw-string 10, as indicated in.

Figure 2, may be employed, this being threaded through a continuous marginal seam, or

being otherwise secured about the edge of the opening. I

. To further assist in maintaining the suit clinging to the wearer, especiallywhen stooping, a waist belt 11, as is bestseen in Fig-- ures 1 and 3, maybe included in the suit or secured at about the upper margin of the lower portion thereof, this being normally provided with fasteners, as indicated at 12.

Thus, when the suit is put on these fasteners may be snapped shut, or otherwise secured, and the waist portion of the suit will then cling tightly at all times, assisting in holding the front of the suit to the wearer. It will thus be seen that the retaining means, both at the waist and about the margin of opening, in effect depart from a. common point at the middle of the back, the one going about the waist and the other following the margin of the back opening. The suits primary support is about the neck, and secondarily about the waist, and its edges are tenthe back 4 the lengthof the mi die of the back to the front of the shoulders) has a tendency sioned by their function as supports, yet without any cramping or hindrance.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A swimming suit constructed of knit material including a lower pants portion extending substantially as high as the wearers waist, and an upper shirt portion joined.

tion of the garment, the side edges of the upiii I per portion, from shoulder to waist, including tensioning means, whereby these edges are made to cling tightly to the wearer in all positions. a

2. A swimming suit constructed of knit material including a lower pants portion extending substantially as high as the wearers waist, and an upper shirt portion joined thereto and having its edges extending generally upward from the waist, below the armpits, to the shoulders of the wearer, and passing in front of the arms, and integral su porting straps extending in front of e shoulders and behind the neck,-being joined thereat, and having incorporated therein two tensioning means, one extending about the wearers waist, and the other lying in the side edges of the upper part of the garment, departingfrom the vicinity of the waist line, at the back, and extending in front of the arms, in front of the shoulders, and behind the neck.

3. A swimming suit constructed of knit material including a lower pants portion extending substantially as high as the wearers waist, and an upper shirt portion joined thereto and having its edges extending generally upward from the waist, below the armpits, to the shoulders of the wearer, and passing in front of the arms, and integral su porting stra s extending in front of e shoulders an behind the neck, being joined thereat, and said edges and supporting straps having a marginal seam forming a closed loop, and an elastic member lying in said marginal seam.

4. A swimming suit constructed of knit material including a lower pants portion extending substantially as high as' the wearers waist, and an upper shirt portion joined thereto and having its edges extending gen-" erally upward from the waist, below the armpits, to the shoulders of the wearer, and passing in front of the arms, and integral su porting straps extending in front of t e shoulders and behind the neck, being joined thereat, and said edges and supporting straps having a marginal seam forming a closed loop, a draw string member lying in said marginal seam.

Signed at Seattle,-Washingt0n, thisfith day of February, 1929. I

- REUBEN H. DILLS 

